Parent Reviews

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Our daughter attends the STEAM TK at Daisy CDC. I am not sure that I have the words to properly express how completely happy we are with Daisy. Our daughter has thrived in Vickie's STEAM TK class. She has learned so many things in the time she has been there it is amazing. They have studied everything from understanding human body structures, exploring various species of insects and animals, understanding the seasons, creativity and art, math, the alphabet and beginning reading and writing. They also have daily Spanish lessons, weekly yoga, dance & music and carpentry classes. There is a great focus on encouraging compassion and communication between the children. There is a warm and inviting feeling at Daisy. I see that they really care about the kids. The administration at Daisy is sincere, considerate and clear. We absolutely love Daisy CDC.

I really just ran into this preschool and absolutely love it. I initially My son is now 4 years old and has been at Daisy since he was 2 1/2. Since starting this program, his vocabulary is a lot bigger and his speech is so much clearer. He absolutely loves the environment and I can see his development getting so much better, day by day. The directors, as all of the Daisy teachers, are very flexible to ensure that your child's needs are being met. They accommodate different learning styles and very knowledgeable in working with the 18 month to 6 year old population. I will never look in other preschool options since my son have been at Daisy. Highly recommended!

We love this place so much. Our daughter has been there for 2 years, she is now almost 4.5. Our son is also there now, he is a little over 1.5 years. Both started out in galaxy room, though our daughter is now in cloud room. This school is so special for so many reasons. The teachers are the heart of any school. The teachers at daisy go above and beyond every moment they are there. They are loving and attentive and smart and kind. My daughter asks regularly if she can go live with her teacher, Ghada. The administrators are direct, thoughtful and very lovely. We really feel like we are part of a family at daisy. Our kids are so happy there. They play all day, but also learn so much! There are tons of extras at daisy (kinderboost, yoga, soccer, carpentry, spanish, dance, etc). I feel like my kids are getting great attention but also learning how to be one of the group. They are having tons of play time but also learning amazing things. I am so thankful for daisy!

This is an update to my last review from January 8, 2016. My daughter has attended other preschools now, and I can really see how exceptional Daisy CDC. The director, Fey, let us brings our daughter back for a few days (free of charge) because she's been having a rough time. And they were, once again, amazing and loving toward her. So I just wanted to give them another shout-out, and hopefully other parents and their children can experience what we have.

My daughter has attended Daisy school for almost three years. Coming from being at home with myself or a close family member for the first 2.5 years, we were very concerned how she would react to a daycare situation. Luckily, we found Daisy and have been extremely happy with the love and care that she has been provided by the teachers and everyone involved in the Daisy community. It is play-based, and gives the kids a lot of freedom to explore and play and interact. My daughter has gained a lot of confidence and academically she is being well prepared for kindergarten next year. They have a program for the older preschool children called Kinderboost where kids work on their letters and numbers, as well as learning about habitats and history.

Daisy starts accepting children at 18 months in their Star Room, which is very loving and caring for the little ones. Daisy also offers a popular Transitional Kindergarten class. Daisy is a great school and I highly recommend it.

My daughter has attended Daisy since she was 20 months old. At that time, she had significant developmental delays (motor and communication). Through a lot of kindness and commitment on the part of the staff and management, she's really flourished. She just turned 4 and she's completely caught up with other kids. She's thriving and happy. I give the school a lot of credit for this. They worked well with me, and with the Regional Center.
My daughter is in the Cloud Room. Her teacher, Ghada, is amazing. The class only has seven kids right now, which is crazy, given the level of commitment, attention, and knowledge Ghada's bringing to her teaching. It's play-based but there's a definite curriculum. My daughter really likes learning her letters, Spanish words, etc. Most of all, she loves Ghada, who brings a sense of order and discipline within a framework of nurturing and kindness.

I have been affiliated with Daisy for over 8 years. My nine year old started attending Daisy right before he turned two. He moved from the Star room to the Rainbow room before entering kindergarten. My five year old was in the Star room, then Cloud, and now he is in Transitional Kindergarten with Ms. Vickie. My long journey with Daisy includes the time with the former owner (Eva) and the current owners (Fey and Ifran).

Daisy has, and continues to be, absolutely wonderful for my family! We picked Daisy because it is child-centered and play based. A play based education allows students to develop their executive function and learn the very important skills of conflict resolution, problem-solving, and finding and using ones voice. The teachers have and continue to be excellent at supporting students to grow intellectually and socially. The quality of teachers have been consistent my entire 8 years at Daisy. My own parenting skills grew as I picked up tips watching the teachers guide, nurture, and educate the Daisy children.

When the new owners took over, I will admit I was worried. Eva and her daughter Joana were amazing educators; how could anyone take their place? Luckily, qualities that I appreciated about Eva and Joana are qualities I found in Fey and Ifran. I have always found Fey and Ifran to be warm, good listeners, responsive, and understanding of the students developmental needs. Fey, in fact, has done many things to improve both the physical structures and curricular program of Daisy: The big yard now has 1) A safer play structure, 2) Two new structures that provide needed shade, and 3) A water fountain.

Fey and Ifran have also improved the curricular program. Fey started the Transitional Kindergarten program with Ms. Vickie (one of the best teachers you will ever ever ever meet). The TK program includes physical education and Spanish. The pre-schoolers also have access to more sports and small mini-classes taught by teachers (carpentry, for example). These were not part of the curricular program before Fey and Ifran became the owners/Directors. I was not aware that the music program is no longer offered, but I have faith that Fey and Ifran will bring it back if there is demand.

It seems that most of the recent complaints have been associated with communication. I'm sure that Fey and Ifran can do better--most people can. I've never had any issues with communication.

My recommendation is that you visit the school. You'll either feel the magic or you won't. We felt the magic 8 years ago and still do. My children loved and still love Daisy. The parents are amazing and kind. The community is vibrant.

A visit to the school will give you way better information than Yelp reviews. Without a doubt, Daisy deserves a visit and consideration. It's a special little place in Oakland. Go check it out.

By Leslie 510 on Nov 3, 2015

WE LOVE DAISY. This school came highly recommended to us by former and existing families when we were looking for a more full-time pre-school for our younger daughter (our older daughter went to a school that only offered part-time hours). After touring the school, our daughter cried because she didn't want to leave -- that didn't happen at any of the other schools we toured. Other things that we appreciated about this school prior to enrolling:
– Tuition: As many parents know, preschool is not cheap. We found that Daisy was the most affordable out of comparable schools.
– Diversity: This is reflected in both the students and staff, something very important to us.
– Enrollment Process: We were turned off by the enrollment process typical of other preschools -- the essay writing, the letters of recommendation, the competitiveness of trying to secure a spot, the rigidity of the enrollment window. Daisy has a flexible year-round enrollment process that we found refreshing.
– Space: From the specific classrooms to the play yard to the garden, the school really felt like a place that would grow with our child as her developmental and physical needs changed.
– Curriculum: We know from experience with our older daughter of the long, structured days of elementary school, so it was essential that preschool we selected was a play-based school that allowed our kid to be a kid. Daisy offers that and more. There is a set weekly schedule / daily curriculum and within that framework of activities, the children are allowed to make their own (supervised) choices.

We have now been at Daisy for a year and while I cannot speak to the differences other families have seen since the change in management, I can speak to our experience thus far which has been entirely positive. The growth in our daughter over the past year has been fantastic to see and hearing her recall her day at pick-up never gets old. From the work she brings home, to the cooking, gardening, carpentry projects they do throughout the week, I am continually impressed with what our little 3 year old does at this preschool!

The teachers at Daisy truly love the students and what they do.They are some of the most dedicated, caring people and it is evident when you see them with the kids. It has been sad to lose some of our favorite teachers (and some of my daughter's favorite buddies as they left for kindergarten), but as we have gotten to know the new teachers, we found them to be just as dedicated and caring.

We cannot recommend this school highly enough and if any prospective families would like to have a more candid conversation about Daisy, please feel free to reach out!

Our daughter has been going to Daisy for a year and she loves her teachers. It was a rough transition for her starting at 2 years old after being with just her mother and a nanny, but Fey and all the teachers helped get her comfortable and she was able to get socialized into the classroom. I'm grateful for their support when we couldn't be there for her. The preschool is play based and she seems to be progressively learning so we're happy. They've got a big backyard with lots of space for outdoor play. There's been a fair turnover of preschool teachers and students going to kindergarten the past couple months so some consistency has been &lost. Overall, though, their program has been strong.

My kids have both attended Daisy Child Development Center since they were 1.5 - we have been at the school since 2010. This year, the school started an AMAZING Transitional Kindergarten program which my son attends. It is M-F from 9:00-2:00, with before care starting at 7:30 and is included in the fee. Aftercare is from 2:00-6:00 for an additional fee. The gold star of the whole program is the lovable, loving dedicated, enthusiastic, authentic and experienced teacher Ms Vickie. I can't say enough about her - she comes with years of experience as an educator, and has a great interest in nature and science-based education. She operates the classroom in a student-led fashion, riffing off of the kids' interests and building lessons around what they would like to learn. Its a very hands-on, project based setting where the kids do everything from tree studies to Legos, morning circle time with calendaring, self portraits, bubble exploration, and so much more. There are 9 kids in the class this year and the attention Vickie gives is incredible - she is nurturing, caring, patient with each child, and genuinely enjoys her work. My son, who is not very expressive or verbal about anything, talks about his TK day all the time. He has learned so much. Vickie also works on social/emotional development as well, and understands the children to a tee. My son does not like very many adults but he LOVES Ms Vickie, I think because she pays close attention to him, listens to him, praises him and treats him with respect.I can't recommend this program enough!!!
Sue

I'm curious to hear some current reviews of Daisy Child Development Center in Oakland. I believe they went through an ownership change at the beginning of this year after many years with the previous owner, and I'm curious how people are feeling about it at this point. Thank you for any information! curious mom

We love Daisy. My daughter has been there since she turned 2 and is now getting ready to leave for kindergarten. The teachers are wonderful and the community is very friendly. My daughter has made lots of good friends and has grown so much over her time there. The ownership change was a little rocky due to some communication issues around a teacher leaving. Some families left, but the situation seems stable now and the new owners are really working to keep everyone in the loop. We won't hesitate to send our second daughter to Daisy when the time comes...nothing but good things to say about our experience there. Daisy fan

April 2013

Re: Oakland preschools with great outdoor spaces?
I suggest you check out Daisy Child Development Center. We have a super active boy and outdoor space was important to our choice of preschool. They are a play based school with a progressive vibe. The main play structure was parent built and therefore unique. They have a garden and chickens. It is a larger school with four classes but the wonderful teachers make every child feel special. We loved everything about Daisy. http://www.daisycdc.com/ Happy Daisy Parent

March 2011

Re: Pre-School Recommendations in Oakland/Berkeley
I would like to recommend Daisy Child Development Center. My daughter went to Daisy from the age of 18 months until she went to Kindergarten and loved it the whole way through. It is a play based pre-school and in addition they do a pre-K program with the older kids before they leave for Kindergarten (my daughter was totally prepared for Kindergarten when the time came). The staff is diverse and multi-cultural, the atmosphere is very warm and family like (it is actually owned by a family who all work in the business in some capacity). Their physical space is spectacular, large building and a great deal of outdoor space that is varied and interesting. Take a tour, it's just a great place and I still feel very lucky that my daughter had such a wonderful pre-school experience, it was a great foundation for her. If you are driving from Pleasanton to Oakland it is super convenient. It is right off the 580 where it intersects Hwy 13 with easy on and off access to the freeway. Brooke

Jan 2011

Re: Nurturing preschool for very active son
We changed preschools in order to find a better fit for our high energy child. We couldn't be happier. Check out Daisy Child Development Center, in Oakland, across 580 from Mills. The teachers are great at seeing each child's gifts and recognizing that each child has challenges and that it is their job to assist the child. It is a play-based program and has lots of room for kids to be kids. Great playground, too. http://www.daisycdc.com/

mama of high energy kid

Oct 2008

Re: Full-time, playbased, preschool near Glenview
I have the perfect place for you - Daisy Child Development Center, located near the intersection of Hwy 13 and Hwy 580 in the Oakland foothills. It has everything you want. My daughter went there from 18 mos until 5+ years and we both loved it. Call the director Eva Barahona at 531-6426. Brooke

Hi Sarah, I would definitely check out Daisy Child Development Center... a wonderful play based daycare/preschool. http://www.daisycdc.com/ 5016 Daisy Street located right above 580 where it intersects Hwy 13 My daughter started in the toddler room at 18 months a year and a half ago and loves it there. The teachers are extremely loving and dedicated, and there is a great community of families there. I plan on enrolling my son as well in 9 months. Hope this helps! YJ

Jan 2008

Re: Looking for preschool openings in Oakland
Look at Daisy Child Development Center (5016 Daisy Street) located right above 580 where it intersects Hwy 13. I live in the neighborhood and my daughter has been there for 3 years. She has really thrived at Daisy and will be going to Kindergarten this fall very well prepared. It is a play based pre-school with very dedicated and loving teachers and a great community of families. The Director is Eva Barahona 531-6426. Good luck in your search. b

Jan 2008

We're considering Daisy CDC for our 2 yr old toddler, who's been at home with mom until now. We'd really appreciate any comments from parents of recent or current students at the schools. Thank you very much!

My son goes to Daisy Child Development Center and I can't say enough good things about the place. http://www.daisycdc.com/

They have a play based curriculum, but don't let the seeming looseness of the structure fool you. The kids are learning. We started our son at Daisy when he was two, so he started in the toddler room. When he got there, he went through a language explosion, which was great, because he wasn't speaking a lot before that. We love all the teachers in the toddler room and have been just as pleased with the teachers in the preschool room. There is a big emphasis on socialization in the toddler room, which is so important for that age.

When you get to the preschool room, in addition to the regular pre school stuff, they have a Kindergarten boost class that the 4 year olds go to three days a week. They have a music teacher and a movement teacher come in once a week. They also have the librarian from the Dimond Park library come and read once a month. Most of the teachers have been there a long time and the director is wonderful.

Re: Preschools with Male Teachers
Daisy Child Development Center at 5016 Daisy Street in Oakland 510.531.6426 www.daisycdc.com has two incredible male teachers, Ron Dickinson and Mark Stewart. Our son currently attends Daisy. A large part of our decision to send him there is the presence of these men, in addition to the wide-ranging experience of the teachers, the warm and caring attitudes all employees and the incredible diversity and strength of the parent community. Note that the website is a bit outdated - it's in the process of being updated, but will still provide some great basic information. Happy Daisy parent

May 2007

If you live in the Laurel/Redwood Heights/Mills area and your girls are over 18 months, I would encourage to you check out Daisy Child Development Center. I have been INCREDIBLY PLEASED with this preschool. They have a lovely staff and the Director is wonderful! Website - daisycdc.com Nina

Feb 2007

We are considering Daisy Child Development Center in Oakland for preschool for our daughter, who will be 3 in the fall. (She's now in a family day care with 3 other little ones.) We really like what we saw when we visited there and love the philosophy on their website. We'd be grateful to hear from families there now or recently. One qustion is whats the difference between the upstairs and downstairs preK rooms, and do parents have any input as to which room their child is in? And how much individual attention do children get? Coming from such a small daycare the class of 20 seems big to us. Do parents get reports on how they napped, toileted, who/what they played with? We'd also love to hear overall reviews of the school. Thank you.

In response to your questions about Daisy CDC: We chose Daisy for a few reasons; one of them is that we are raising our son bilingually and there are many Spanish-speaking teachers there. The other and probably more important, was that it reminded us of the places where we went to school at that age - they were focused on a lot of arts and crafts, music, story-telling, etc. To be frank, it's kind of one of the last of the hippy schools and is true to most of the negative and positive associations accompanying that label. They are not as organized as I wish they were, and the communication with parents leaves something to be desired. If you want to know about napping and food and activities, you need to ask. The flip side is that the teachers are highly unique and encourage thoughtful and original play. Yes, there is some choice between the classrooms, but a lot of it has to do with where there is a space. Good luck! j

Feb 2005

We're considering Daisy in Oakland for our 3 year old boy. I'd like to hear the experiences, positive and negative, of families who've attended. Thank you. Mara

I would highly reccomend Daisy Child Development Center. I have 2 boys, 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 and they have both been at Daisy since October 2004. Having moved them from a very ''institutional'' center in SF, we were a bit concerned with the facility at first. It has a much more ''shabby'' look than we were used too. I have to say, the teachers have more than made up for our concerns. Both of our children love it there and are doing great. Our older son, who was allowed to just play with the trains all day at his other school, has now learned to write the alphabet and is starting to read. He is also turning into a very creative artist. The staff there is very attuned to each child and they work with them to expand on their interests and skills. Also, we have found a great sense of community among the families that attend the center. This is fostered with regular center work days, parties, and potlucks. I am constantly impressed with the teachers who show up on weekends to have a holiday party with the kids. It really shows me how much they care about the children.

March 2004

Re: Preschool for Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder
I know one family has enrolled a child with Asperger's at the preschool my son goes to, Daisy Child Dev. Center in Oakland. Most of the kids are Neuro-typical, but they seem sensitive to meeting a wide range of needs. They actually say in their materials that they welcome special needs children, which is a nice change. They seem committed to it, and by and large we are very happy with the program. It's worth chatting with them about in any case. Here is their contact info: 531-6426 anon

Nov 2003

Re: Seeking smaller preschool for shy 3 1/2 year old
I think Daisy, where my child attended, would be a good fit for a shy child. Though it is actually fairly large, it "feels" smaller. They have done a really good job nurturing a few children with special needs in their classes and recongnizing and valuing each child. The Galaxy room has two VERY experienced teachers, and I think they would be very straight ahead whether they thought it was a good fit.

Sept. 2003

Re: Preschool Openings for Jan 2004
I know that Daisy Child Dev in Oakland (Redwood Heights/Mills area) has openings. I have a child who started there this August and we have largely been very pleased with the program, and she is very happy to be there every day. It's got good place space outdoors, very experienced staff, and a very homey feel. Lots of kisses, hugs and a diverse student and teacher population. Contact information: Daisy Child Development Center 5016 Daisy Street Oakland, CA 94619 510-531-6426

August 2003

Re: Urgent Need for Preschool
I just enrolled my 3 year old son 2 weeks ago at Daisy Child Development Center. I believe they have openings beginning in September(I was told they have kids leaving for Kindergarten)

My son is loving it. It is a developmental preschool (learning through play) as opposed to academic. Culturally diverse, one teacher teaches Spanish to the children, and one plays music on her cello at playtime in the afternoon. They have chickens and 2 pet snakes, and an organic garden. They take kids in at all stages of potty training. They have 2 teachers per class, one is the Galaxy Room, one is the Rainbow room, and they have a younger program that is separate. The number is 510-531-6426. It is located at the V of Hwy 13 and 580.

Maybe this will help you or some of the other families. I will answer anything I can, but we are new to the school..so I am still going on early impressions. I searched several schools in person before choosing this one, so I know how hard it is. They do tours in the mornings at 8:30 and 9am with the center director Eva. Hope this helps!

May 2003

Does anyone have recent experience with Daisy Child developement Center or the Geranium Cottage at Mills. I saw some older posts, but am interested in more recent experiences. We went and visited Daisy and got a good vibe from it, but I am interested in other opinions. Thanks. Mom

Friends of ours send their two kids to Daisy and rave about it. Sorry I don't have more info, just wanted to confirm your positive vibe! Christina

1999

My daughter attended Daisy Child Development Center on Daisy Street located in the V where 580 and 13 meet. She was there from age 2 1/4 to 5 1/4 and liked it very much. They have arrangements for parttime, including half-days. Since it's been over a year since she attended and change can happen fast, I'd recommend visiting and observing to see if it suits your needs. It's rather large with lots of activity, which suited my daughter, but that may not be for everyone Cathy

A few weeks ago I posted that my daughter's preschool, Sunflower House, would be closing, and that we were searching for a new place. It's been a hard search which has confirmed what I had felt before: Sunflower House was a really special place! But I have found a place that I think will be good for my daughter--Daisy Child Development Center. I thought I'd share a brief accounting of some of what I found in my search, including updates to several of the recommendations that I got from the UCB Parents website and other parents (thanks for writing!). If you are interested in more information (I have some pretty detailed check-sheets that I made up), e-mail me directly, and I can fax you copies of my notes. dawn

I am in love with the people here! I met both directors, and the two teachers for the Galaxy Room (the downstairs classroom where my daughter will attend). They are very loving and obviously cherish the kids. Opportunities and creativity abound. They apparently "have it all"--music, art, books, dramatic play, multicultural activities, large play area, with slides, swings, grass, sandbox, an organic garden (the kids help!), bunnies, chickens etc etc. They have field trips monthly, and strongly encourage parent participation (2 hours/month, or you can buy out of this for $20/mo). The ONLY concern that I have is the high child:teacher ratio, which is 9:1 for preschool (each preschool class has 18 children and 2 teachers). But I think their usually high experience level will make up for this. Toni (a woman) and Ron (a man)--the two teachers in the Galaxy room--have worked together at Daisy for 7 years. 80% of the staff have been there for 8 years. The cost is reasonable (I think), though the price structure is a little opaque (there is a separate "materials fee" and the parent involvement time, in addition to the regular tuition). Prices are higher for toddlers and preschoolers who are not yet potty-trained. There are two preschool classes, a 12-child toddler class, and a separate infant-care facility. As I write this, there are still 1 or 2 openings in the Galaxy room.

One measure of how comfortable we were there: The day after our visit at Daisy, we drove to Sunflower House for a regular day of daycare. When we pulled up, my daughter looked outside the car, and said "Not here--Daisy!" and she began to cry, because we weren't going to Daisy immediately! Dawn

From: Mary

Re: Laurel/Redwood Heights preschool
Check out Daisy Child Care on Daisy Street, you can get the number from Bananas. We just recently put our baby there. We got LOTS of good references from other parents, and feel the place is a good start for our daughter. The staff is friendly and well-trained, the environment is good.